The Bond of Family
by Dragon Pulse
Summary: The end of this journey is supposed to be just that. But maybe it's really just the beginning of a an entirely new one. Prelude to Beneath This Cloudless Sky. Primarily Kurogane/Fay.


It was times like these that made Kurogane realize he could never get a grasp on Fay. Over the course of time since they'd met, the ninja never truly understood what he was thinking - what his intentions may be. Every time he thought he had it all figured out, the magician would pull another trick out of his hat that would leave Kurogane with a feeling of complete bewilderment.

It was over. Their journey had come to an end, and just as originally planned, they were all to part ways. Red eyes glanced over to the side. Sakura and Syaoran stood together, hand in hand. It was simple for them - all they had to do was leave the ruins and make their way back to their respective homes. It would be strange. It would take a long time for them to find a sense of normalcy after seven years of living - or rather, not living, in a sense.

And then there was Kurogane. At his word, Mokona would transport him back to Nihon. Back to the life he'd known, with a renewed lease on life and just how it should be treated. Over the months, he'd learned a lot of things. About others. About respect. But most importantly, about himself. He understood what he had to do for the sake of others, and he knew that returning to his job of being a ninja under Tomoyo-hime's law would be different than it was in the past. He no longer had to seek the ones who'd taken the lives of his parents away. He no longer desired to kill needlessly until he'd found those ones. He merely had a job to do and a princess to protect.

He was okay with this knowledge.

However, Fay was still a complete question mark over his head.

The wizard had no home to go to. His world had been destroyed. Easily, he could have opted to stay in Clow Country. Even Kurogane had quietly given his offer to let Fay come back to Nihon with him.

"Are you sure?" His tone was quiet, reserved. Most importantly, it was concerned. Kurogane would be hard-pressed to admit it out loud, but he worried for Fay. He didn't like the idea of not seeing him, not being able to make sure he would be okay now that it was all over. All he got in return was a small smile and bright blue eyes sparkling at him.

"Kuro-sama doesn't need to worry. I worked it out with the Witch-san already." He paused, looking over at Sakura and Syaoran fondly before letting his eyes meet with Kurogane's crimson ones again. "I'd be nothing more than an imposition in Nihon anyway! I can't speak the language, after all!"

Kurogane fell silent. Sure, he was right. But why should that stop him? He may have been an idiot, but he wasn't stupid. With time, he would have picked up on the language. His charismatic nature was likely to carry him either way. Was this just his way of running again? Was he just doing the same thing he'd always done.

A chill ran down his spine. Fay's gloved hand had made it's way to Kurogane's cheek, causing the ninja's eyes to close. His face flushed slightly - what was this? Wide eyes searched the magician's, seeking to understand what Fay's intentions were. "It's for the best this way. You and I both know that! I still want to see things, go to new places. I'm not going to give up on myself. I already told you that."

The hand fell back to his side, and all Kurogane could do was nod in response. He felt frozen in place. The world was stopping around him. His eyes followed as Fay moved towards the other two, his lean arms wrapping around them both at once.

"But Fay-san, you--!" Syaoran made his attempt to argue, to try one last time. To not let Fay abandon all of them. But it was to no avail, as Fay had shushed him.

"This is what I want to do, Syaoran-kun." He pulled back, his eyes gazing dreamily. "And besides, if what Yuuko-san has always said about hitsuzen is true, we'll meet again if we're meant to."

Without another word, the wizard pulled back.

"Wait Fay!" A small voice boomed, and within moments, Mokona had jumped at him, stealing one last hug. After a moment, he pulled the small creature back, holding her in his hands and smiling.

"I'll miss you too, Mokona." His lips curved into a small frown, seeing the small creature crying. Using his index finger, he wiped them away. "Try to make sure Kuro-sama doesn't get into too much trouble without me around, okay?"

"But will Fay be okay?" The question was worried, but still, she nodded.

"Of course! That's why I don't want anyone else to worry. I'll be just fine."

"Mokona understands. Just promise that Fay will take care of himself!"

Fay offered a smile, pulling Mokona into one last hug before she jumped back, landing on Kurogane's shoulder. "I promise, Mokona. Don't worry about it!"

After that, everything fell silent. The realization had hit everyone. This was it. Everything they'd grown to know was ending. There was absolutely no turning back that this point. All Kurogane, Sakura, Syaoran and Mokona could do was watch. It was over. Fay held two fingers out in front of him as he began his spell to leave the dimension. Cyrillic lettering swirled around him, and within moments, the limber blond had completely disappeared from their sights.

Kurogane's eyes closed. He really did it. The idiot had actually left without them. After staying completely still for a moment, he turned, making his way over to the others. He wasn't much for sentiment, so he gave Syaoran's hair a light ruffle. He offered a very weak smile. "Take care of the Princess, kid." There was another pause as he looked down at his shoulder. He gave his head a nod at Mokona before he spoke again. "Let's go."

***

He stood awkwardly at the entrance of Shirasagi Castle, looking out at Nihon's landscape. He'd been back for only a few hours. It felt like an eternity, though. It was strange - he'd spent so much time wanting nothing more than to be home, and now that he was there, he felt like a stranger. There was a strange emptiness he felt in his chest as he looked out. What came next?

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he jerked slightly at the touch. His eyes looked down, meeting with that of Tomoyo's. She'd managed to sneak up on him - an obvious sign that something was wrong.

"You really miss them, don't you Kurogane?" Her expression was serene, but there was an undeniable sadness in her eyes.

"Tch." He didn't really want to talk about it. "That idiot was always pretending we were a family, but as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he left. Some damn family."

Tomoyo was quiet for a bit, taking in what he said. She observed him. It was clear to her just how much he'd changed because of them. It had been obvious when he first returned to Nihon. The fact that he'd even risked himself for the sake of Fay's life was apparent enough. But he'd been more serene. And without them, he seemed to be more just the shell of himself than anything. The princess' hand lightly rubbed his shoulder, causing him to look at her warily.

"So go." Her statement was simple and concise as she cocked her head to the side slightly and offered a smile.

"But--"

"We'll be okay here, Kurogane. I know you'll come back. But I think you need to be with them more than you need to be here right now."

Again, his eyes fell closed. She was right. There was something that was off about this whole situation. He couldn't quite put his finger on it until then. Not until he'd said it. They iwere/i a family, and being strewn throughout the dimensions wasn't how it was supposed to be. Finding the Princess and the Kid would be easy enough. It was Fay that was going to be a problem. But he knew something needed to be done.

He bowed to Tomoyo-hime with gratitude. "When I come back, I'll be ready."

"I know you will. You're strong Kurogane. And I know you'll find him." She paused, stepping aside so that he could make his way back inside to prepare. "Mokona is still here, so you can probably leave very soon, if you'd like."

Kurogane didn't say anything in response, simply nodding his head as he began to make his way inside. It wouldn't be easy. And it would probably take a long time. But he would find Fay or die trying. For all the effort they'd put into these past months, it couldn't just be thrown to the side now. Maybe he would never understand why the wizard acted the way he did, but he sure as hell wasn't going to just sit and accept it so long as he could do something about it.

It was time to start a new journey - one riddled with far less tragedy. This one was built on hopes and bonds.


End file.
